


The Servant and the Frog

by ArgentSleeper



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Animals, Fluff, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-12
Updated: 2015-09-12
Packaged: 2018-04-20 11:45:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4786187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArgentSleeper/pseuds/ArgentSleeper
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which there is Merlin and frog armies and puckered lips.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Servant and the Frog

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Polomonkey](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Polomonkey/gifts).



> Because polo needed fluff and I obliged. <3
> 
>  
> 
> For "Day at the Beach" and "fusion" on my tropes bingo.

 

The lake was Merlin’s favourite place to go. On his good days, when he could appreciate the beauty of life instead of all the friends he’d laid to rest there, he liked to sit on the shore and watch the sun rise and set. Sometimes a bird would fly overhead or a bunny rabbit would run past or a deer might stand at the edge of the woods. Merlin never bothered them, and they never bothered him, and it was all perfect.

Until one day.

One day while Merlin was relaxing on a rare day off, his feet dipped into the water up to his ankles, a large frog hopped onto his knee.

“Hello there, little fellow.”

The frog just stared at him and croaked.

Normally, if Arthur was around, Merlin would never have dared to talk to an animal. The amount of mocking he would have to endure was enough of a deterrent. But Arthur wasn’t here, and it was his day off, damn it.

“I’m afraid I don’t have any treats for you. Do frogs like treats? Maybe a worm or something?”

This time he was rewarded with a louder croak and what he was sure was an offended look, if frogs could be offended.

“Okay then, no worms.”

Merlin expected then that the frog would have had enough of his babble and hopped off. Instead the creature took a giant leap forward, landing on Merlin’s stomach.

“Woah there, I’m not a frog tree. Go climb on a log.” Merlin scooped up the little frog. It was less slimy than he would have expected. He and Will used to hunt for toads to scare the village girls with and they were always covered in muck. “Are you hot? Do you need to go in the water? That’s this way, mate.”

Merlin lowered the frog towards the lake, but suddenly the animal was thrashing in his grip and letting out a horrible screaming sound. Merlin hadn’t even known frogs _could_ scream.

“Okay, okay! No water either!” Merlin sat the frog back down on his lap, then jumped when it bit him on the thigh. “I’m sorry! I thought frogs _liked_ to swim.”

It seemed what Merlin thought was clearly wrong, which the frog proceeded to tell him by hopping around his legs and berating him in croaks. He couldn’t help but let out a giggle. It looked exactly how Arthur did when he was ranting and calling Merlin an idiot.

He picked the little creature up again. “I think Arthur would like you. How would you like to live in a castle for a while? Don’t worry about the royal prat trying to squish you. I could always put a spell on you to make you invincible. That would _really_ annoy him.”

The frog let out another screaming croak and bit him on the finger.

“Oh sure, let me guess. You hate magic too? Do I need to be on the lookout for a frog army now, led by their indomitable frog prince?”

More frenzied croaking, but no bite this time.

“Next you’re going to ask me to kiss you, is that right, Prince Frog? Will that stop your advancing army?”

Later Merlin would deny it to his dying day, but he could have sworn the frog _puckered his lips_ at him.

“No way! I’m not actually going to kiss you!” He suddenly realized what he was doing. “This is ridiculous! You’re a frog! Clearly Arthur was right about my grave mental illness. Oh gods, please don’t tell him I said that. No wait. You can’t, because you’re a _frog_. Just a frog! I am not going to kiss a frog!”

Now the frog was pouting. The _fucking frog_ was _pouting_.

“Oh gods, I’m going to do this, aren’t I? I’m going to kiss you.” Merlin sent up a prayer to the sky for his sanity, then lifted the frog up to his face. “Really, don’t you dare tell Arthur about this.”

And then, because no one could ever accuse Merlin of half-assing anything, he planted the biggest smooch he could manage on that little frog face.

“ _Mer_ lin. _What_ are you doing?”

Merlin spun around to see Arthur and his knights standing at the edge of the forest, watching him. Gwaine was bent over with his fist stuffed in his mouth. Elyan had given up completely and was clinging to Percival to stay upright through his laughter.

Merlin’s face went redder than the Camelot cloaks. Then, because he really was obviously touched in the head, “Erm, saving the cursed Frog Prince?”

“Oh really?” Merlin wanted to smack the grin off Arthur’s face. “How about you get over here and save _this_ prince by filling his water skin? Since that’s clearly the only thing you’re any good at.”

Merlin stumbled over to take the blasted skin. Arthur quickly grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him in close, whispering in his ear, “We’ll talk about the magic thing later.”

 

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [ART: It Started With A Kiss...](https://archiveofourown.org/works/4794194) by [LFB72](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LFB72/pseuds/LFB72)




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